Urban Revolution

The theme for Year 4 studio projects in Stedex ‘13 is “Engaging the Green Initiative”. The basis of this initiative is to exert design skills and awareness amongst students towards the Green Lifestyle. It is imperative that specific urban areas have adequate green spaces critical to create a livable, sustainable city with a healthy environment and an improved quality of life. In keeping with the sustainability initiatives, the students are being tested to construct a small and high rise development with potentially sustainable engagement to create green urban scenarios.

The first project, The Georgetown Urban Farming in Penang integrates urban farming as a catalyst for youth development and incorporating farming as a way of life in an urban setting. The site is located at the junction of Jalan Penang and Jalan Mac Allister with direct view towards KOMTAR and is a meeting point for youth from all over Penang due to its close proximity to the main bus and taxi terminal. Land is expensive in Penang which justifies the need for high density developments in the selected areas. Parallel to this, the site chosen for this project is currently projected for a high density development. Reflecting the project, cities after all are created for vibrancy and dynamism, for buzz and nightlife. Nevertheless, here are good reasons for Malaysian to rethink its urban landscape. For one, global cities are being redefined with urban agriculture seen as a viable, efficient and environmentally-friendly complement to farms. The students were requested to propose spaces of community gardens to grow by giving the communities some land and the crops the gardens produce are for the community. The proposed spaces for community gardens range from 25 to 1,000 square meters. This allows the community to learn to plant seeds and experiment with using used coffee grounds as fertilizers. The project instills a sense of environmental awareness among the students.

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